MEDIA RELEASE

2 September 2016

Council seeks submissions on gambling policies

The Palmerston North City Council is calling for submissions on the revised Class 4 Gambling Venue and New Zealand Racing Board Venue (TAB) policies. “Class 4” are gaming machines located in venues outside casinos such as pubs and clubs.

“The Council is proposing to reduce the cap on the number of gaming machines permitted in the city from 400 to 347 – the number currently in operation,” says Charlotte Greig, Policy Analyst at Palmerston North City Council.

“This means that under the revised policy no more gaming machines could be introduced into the city.”

The policies would also no longer allow gaming machines and TABs to be established in industrial zones.

“Research suggests the location and accessibility of gaming machines increases the risk of gambling-related harm, with lower socio-economic communities disproportionality affected by problem gambling,” says Ms Greig.

“Class 4 gambling is particularly addictive, and the proximity of industrial zones to some of the city’s lower socio-economic communities has been taken into consideration in the revised policies.”

Venues currently operating in industrial areas would not be affected. They would also have the opportunity to relocate to other areas if they wanted to.

Class 4 gambling provides a source of funding for many groups in the community, with a conservative estimate of grants made for the 2014/15 year totalling over $3,400,000

The Council would like to hear the community’s views on the draft policies.

The consultation documents and submission form are available at pncc.govt.nz/consultations, the Council’s Customer Service Centre, any branch of the City Library, and the Ashhurst Service Delivery Centre.

Submissions close on 30 September 2016.

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